Steering wheel



Feb. 23 ,1926. r 1,574,321

F. VINCENT STEERING WHEEL Filed Dec. 20, 1921 2 SheetsShee 1 F. VINCENT..-

STEERING WHEEL:

Filed Dec. 20, 1921 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 Iii 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIM lllllllllllllll Emma /llvlllflllllrllllllllIf F. V% /M abtomu;

Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

un t-En stares EREDERIGKVINCENT, or DETROIEVMIOHIGAN.

srnnnine WHEEL.

Application filed Deeemberzt), 1921, Serial No, 523,698.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Fannnnicn V NC NT, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Detroit, in the county of YVayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Inn proved Steering Wheel, of which the tch lowing isa specification.

This invention relates to steering Wheels adapted for use in connection with the Ford type 01" steering mechanisms. that is, motor vehicles in which the steering shaft is in two partsconnected by a speedreducing mechanism mounted in a casing at the upper end of the steering post and the steering wheel isattached to one of said parts, and its obacter in which the steering wheel rnav be locked to said casing to prevent the wheel and the other parts of the, shaft from turni.ng,the locking mea'ns-being made of hard ened steelso that it is impossible to disengage the lock except after prolonged labor.

This-invention consists in a main steering shaft mounted in the usual steering post of the vehicle, a casing at the upper endofthe post, a vstub shaft, a steering wheel thereon, a casing or hub extending down from the steering wheel and embodying a cap for the gear casing, the hub and cap'being-of hardened steehgears connecting the shafts, and means controlled by a key operated lock mounted .in this; extension onthe steering wheel and embodying a bolt, adapted to extendinto the casingto prevent the actuation of the main shaitby the stub shaft a.- central vertical section of a steering mechanism embodying this present inven tion. 'Fig. 2 is a. plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on'the lineq3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. e is a section. on the line 4t'4; of-Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective of theadjacent inner ends of the arms of the steering. wheel together with a hub ring connecting them. Fig. 6 is a; locking member ada-pt ed'to be mounted within the gear casing. Fig. 7 is a plan of a modified form of wheel. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of still another modificat en- Fig 5 a h o ll ection of the M onto the gear casing? and has a necl; 2.3

structure showninliig. 7, p

Similar reterence characters refer to like parts throughout the several iews.

It has been found that the so-called lock-v ing steering wheels are ineffective toprevent the theft ot motor veh cles for the riason' that the thieves are able to form connections between free spinn ng wheels and the steering shafts by driving wedges into the spaces between the wheel proper and the bushings or heads. attached to the upper ends of the steering shafts. These safety. wheels which are prov ded with positive locks to prevent them't'rom turning on the steeringcolumns are also rendered ineffective by simply sawing out these locks.

Thepbject ofthe present invention is to provide a lock of the second type, that is,

one which prevents therotation of the steering wheel relative to the steeringcolumn. which lockingdevice embodies a hardened steelportionwhich encloses the lock so that thesteering mechanism-is absolutely ruined by the breaking otth'e look.

In Figs. ljto 6 inclusive I have shown the upper end of the steering column 1 provided with the usual gear-casing 2 and within the column and casing is the main steering shaft 3 provided with a head which carries the pulse, preferably three lnnuniher. Loosely.

mounted on these pins 5 are the pinions 6 which mesh with theinternal teeth 7 formed in theupper end of the casing 2. This structure is well known.

In. the present case I have inounteda cylindricallblock 8 having recesses 9 to re- This invention further consists in the dev talls of construction illustrated 1n the accerve these ,pini0ns', 6 concentric with the shatt 3iso to rest on the head 4, and this block is formed with holeslO to receive the pins 5. This' -bloc'k ;is also, formed. with shallow recesses 12 to receive the locking bolt to be hereafter described.

A stub shaft 13 has a pinion 14 mounted or formed thereon to mesh with the pinion 6 and 'which has an extension 15 to iit into the bore ofthe-niain shaft 3 and so-keep themin a1ine 1nent. Itsupper end 16 is threaded to receive the nut 17 which holds the steering wheel i i-position. This steering wheel has i a hub 18 of very hard material, preferably hardened steel, and to this hub is attached a cap. 19 by means of screws 20. This-cap is also preferably formed of hard steel. A cover 22 of ordinary. construction screws smaller internal diameter than the pinion 14 which is integral with the shaft' 13, and therefore so long as the cover 22 is in position, this shaft cannot be lifted and thewheel hub 18 cannot be lifted so long as the nut 17 is in position. The cover 22 is kept from unscrewing by means of a screw 26. The block 8 and the nut 17 are also of hardened steel.

The upper, end of the hub 18 is formed with a circumferential recess to receive the ring 28 from which the arms 29 of the wheel extend. Any desired number of screws 30 extend from the bore of the hub which receives the shaft into this ring 28 and prerent it from being removed except when the hub is entirely off this shaft 13. A key connects the hub 18 to the stub shaft 13. A finishing strip 33 may be attached to the hub 18 and the ring 28 by means of the screws 34, if desired.

An extension 36 on the hub 18 has a horizontal bore to receive the lock barrelv 37 which is held in place by means of a screw 38 which can only be removed when the cap 19 is taken off. Within this lock barrel is a locking mechanism, not shown, operated by means of a key 39, andwhich connects to a disk 40 from which a pin 41 extends inwardly, this pin extending into a notch in a disk 43 attached to a locking pin 44 which normally extends down through a hole 45 in the cover 22. When in its depressed position, this pin enters one of therecesses 12 in the block 8, but when in its elevated position permits this block 8 to rotate freely. The hub is provided with a recess 46 in which this disk 43 is vertically movable and the upper end of this recess is closed by means of a screw-threaded disk Within the recess and on the locking'bolt 44 is a spring 48 which normally presses the looking bolt downward. The upper end of the locking bolt has a head 49 which has a fiat side 50, as indicated in Fig. 2,'so that when depressed this fiat side will prevent the rotation of the nut 17.

, that, after the-manner of the usual Yale position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 at locks, the pin 41 of the lock will he in the all times when there is no key in the lock, during WhlCll times the steering wheel is prevented from rotation. But when the key is inserted and" the pin 41 is moved to the It will be understood prefer to have three holes 12 in the member 8. As the rotation of the head 4 of the main steering shaft and therefore of the member 8 is very much slower than that of the stub shaft 13 and of the steering wheel hub, the locking pin 44 when in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 will absolutely pretent the rotation of the steering wheel. The steering wheel arms 29 and the ring 28 connected thereto may be made of soft metal such as aluminum and may be destroyed without affecting the lock. After The key- 39 is withdrawn with the locking bolt 44 in operative position, it cannot be released except by destroying the hub 18,

which would render the steering mechanism entirely useless.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, two modifications are shown. The structure shown in Figs. 7 and 9 embodies a steering wheel 51 having arms 52 which connect by means of an elliptical ring 53. These arms are U-shaped in cross section and fitting into them is a hub meml er 54 having arms 55 and 56 which may be secured to the arms 52 by means of screws 57 or rivets 58, or both. The lock 59 is mounted in this hub 54 and is so formed that it may move up or down, and it has a locking bolt extending down parallel to the stub shaft 13. This construction can be de signed by any lock maker, but is clearly shown in my priorapplication Serial Number 479,627 filed June 22, 1921. The lock barrel has a flange 60 provided with a flat side 61 which is adapted to prevent the rotation of the nut 62. The hub 54 and its arms 55 and 56 are again of hardened steel, so that while the arms 52 of the steering wheel may be broken therefrom, the loci:

will still prevent the rotation of the stub shaft and the steering of the vehicle.

Instead of having the cap 19 secured to the hub, as indicated in Fig. 1, I have shown the cap 63 made integral with the hub 64 in Fig. 8. The same stub 'shaft 13 is our ployed, but in place of the member 8 I have shown a disk 64 formed with recesses 65 in its circumference to receive the locking pin 66 of the lock 67. The extension 68 on the hub is formed with recesses 69 to receive he small pin 70 which is moved in or out by means of the key 72 and the position of this pin 70 in the small recesses 69 will determine whether the locking bolt 66 shall be in a recess 65 or withdrawn therefrom. There may be any number of these recesses.

The p spring 73 will normally force the locking bolt 66 into inoperative position whenever the key 72 is turned to withdraw the pin 7 O. The other details shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 will be similar to those in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive. A

, Thev details of construction and the pro portions of the parts of this locking mecha nisii -for steering wheels may all be changed those sk'illed'in the art witliout departing l'roi'n the spirit of my invention as setforth in the following claims.

lolaimz 1. 'In a steering mechanism, a main rotatable s teein'g shaft, a casing therefor havandcarried by the main shaft,'a' shaft section having. a pinion meshing withand driving the'upper end of said shaft, a call? the planetary gears, said shaft section carrying' a steeri 'ig wheel structure "including loclnn'gmeans adapted to have engagement shafts and planetary gears.

; shaft projecting into a casingtherefor, a steering wheel hub removably mounted on ably fitted on the upper end oft andpreventing removal of said shaft from thecasing, al removable member to secure the cap to the casing, a removable cover ro- 'tatabl'y attached to the shaft toprevent accessto and removal of said cap and said member from the casing, and locking means arranged to prevent removal of the cover from the cap, said locking means also adapted to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the casing and simultaneously prevent removal of the wheel hub from the shaft.

3. In a steering mechanism, a steering shaft projecting into a casing therefor, a steering wheel hub removably mounted on the upper end of said shaft, a cap removably fitted on the upper end of the casing and preventing removal of said shaft from the casing, a removable screw having engagement with the cap and casing to pre vent removal of the cap from the casing, a cover removably attached to the wheel hub and encompassing said cap to prevent access to and removal of said cap and said screw from the casing, and locking means arranged to prevent removal of the wheel hub from the shaft, said locking means also adapted to prevent rotation of said wheel 7 hub and said shaft relative to'the casing,

said cover being removable from said wheel hub after said hub is removed from said shaft.

4. The combination of a steering column, a main steering shaft therein having a head at its upper end, a casing at the upper end of the column having a ring of internal teeth, pins carried by said head, pinions mounted on said pins and meshing with said internal teeth, a stub shaft in alinement with but separate from said main shaft and having a gear between and meshing with said pinions, a cap for said gear casing and means to hold the cap from being unscrewed, a hardened steel wheel hub secured to said stub with said member to prevent rotation of said removcasing said hub ali-tl extended over said ca to prevent access thereto, a steeringwhee atftachefd to saidhub, a locking bolt mounted in. said hub' and adapted to move parallel to said stub shaft, "a cylindrical member 'withinfthe gear case formed with pockets to receive tl'ie' pinions"therein and the gear on the stub shaft; and with recesses toreceiv'e' the locking bolt, and alrey operated lock mounted in said hub and provided with means to move said locking bolt intdaiid out of the recesses in said cylindrical memher.

5.-In wateri g mechanism, a steering shaft, a casing" therefor, a cap removably fitted on theuipper end of the casing, a steer ing wheelembodyinga head carried by said shaft, a shell encompassing and covering said cap topreventremoval of said cap from said casing, a removable member having en gagementwith said cap and casing to pre vent removal of'the cap from the casing,

said; shell being carried by said head, said cap being remov'ableifrom the casing after,

said. member is disengaged from the casing, and locking means-'to p revent removal of the shell and" headffrom the cap.

6. In a steering" mechanism, a steering shaft, a casing therefor, a cap removably fitted on the upper end of the casing, a member havin en a ement with said ca and b b b casing to prevent removal of the cap from the casing, a steering wheel carried by the shaft, said wheel embodying a cover encompassingand covering said cap to prevent removal of said cap and member from said casing, and a key operatedlock adapted to allow or prevent removal of the steering wheel from the shaft.

7. In a steering mechanism, a casing, a removable cap secured thereon, a steering shaft, projecting into the casing, a cover of hardened metal extending over the cap to prevent access tosaid cap, and a steering wheel having a hub ofhardened metal arranged totprevent the cover from being 7 lifted from the cap, said cover having an open ng and being rigidly fastened to and extending below the lower surface of said hub, said cap having a neck encompassing said shaft, said neck adaptedto extend through the opening in said cover, and locking means to prevent removal of the cover from the cap- 8. In a steering mechanism, a casing, a remo able cap secured thereon, a steering shaft projecting into the casing, a cover ex tending over the cap to prevent access to said cap, and a steering wheel carried by said shaft and arranged to prevent the cover from being lifted from the cap, key-operated locking means carried by said steering wheel to; .prevent removal of said steering wheel from said shaft, said cover being carried by said wheel.

9. In a steering mechanism, a casing, a removable cap secured thereon, asteering shaft projecting into the casing, a steering wheel secured to the shaft and havinga circumferential flange extending over the cap, said Wheel and flange being arranged to prevent the removal of the cap from the and removable from said casing, a steering casing, and locking means mounted in said steering Wheel topermit or prevent removal of said wheel and flange relative to the casing. I c

10. In a steering mechanism, a casing,a steering shaft projecting into said Casing Wheel hub removably mounted'on said shaft, a cap removably fitted on said-casing and preventing renioval'of said shaft from the.

, casing, a cover removably carried by said Wheel hub and encompassing said cap to prevent removal of said cap from said casing, and locking .means mounted in said wheel hub to control'removal of said Wheel hub from the shaft, said cover being removable from said Wheel hub, after said hub is removed from said shaft.

11. In a steering mechanism, a casing, a removable cap secured thereon, a steering shaft projecting into the casing, a steering cap removably fitted on the upper end of said casing and preventing removal of said shaft from the casing, removable means to secure the cap to the casing, a removable housing comprising a cover encircling and arranged to prevent removal of said cap and said removable means from said casing,

and locking means carried by said housing and when; in one 'position adapted to prevent removal of said cap, said housing and cover and said shaft and prevent-rotation of said shaft relative to" said casing, said locking means when in another position adapted to allow rotation of said shaft and removal'of said shaft, said cap, and said housing and cover relative to the casing.

, FREDERICK VINCENT.

for, a steering Wheel to rotate said shaft, a V 

